by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6W6JZ)
Organ appears to function for 10 days, raising prospect of short-term use for those on transplant listA genetically modified pig liver that was transplanted into a brain-dead patient appeared to function successfully inside their body for 10 days, according to the scientists who performed the groundbreaking procedure.The surgery, at a Chinese hospital last year, is thought to mark the first time a pig liver has been transplanted into a human. It raises the prospect of pig livers serving as a bridging organ" for patients on the waiting list for a transplant or to support liver function while their own organ regenerates. Continue reading...
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent on (#6W6GF)
Expert says glimpse of UV light is akin to finding first buried arrowhead on an ancient battlefield'Astronomers have detected signals from a momentous event in the early universe in which a dense fog that cloaked the first stars began to lift, marking the end of the cosmic dark ages.Until now, the exact timing and nature of this critical transition has remained shrouded in mystery. The latest images, from the James Webb space telescope, reveal a galaxy dated to just 330m years after the big bang that appears to have cleared its surrounding fog. Continue reading...
Research suggests those who push themselves when working out perceive time to move more slowlyIf your sessions at the gym seem to drag on for hours, you are in good company. People who push themselves when working out report a form of time warp, making it feel as if they have been exercising for longer than they have, researchers say.Adults who took part in 4km cycling trials on exercise bikes perceived time to have slowed down, scientists said, with the cyclists overestimating how long they had been pedalling for by about 10%. Continue reading...
Addition of ultramarine blue creates warmer hues and more skin-like finish, reducing the grey cast'Researchers believe they have found a solution to makeup for darker skin tones often appearing ashy or grey once applied.In recent years the market for beauty products designed for people with darker skin tones has boomed, with some brands now offering consumers a huge variety of shades. Continue reading...
Less than 2% of human genomes analysed so far have been those of Africans. Yemaachi Biotech's Africa Cancer Atlas aims to fill the research gapWhen Yaw Bediako lost his father to liver cancer, it set the Ghanaian immunologist on a journey to know more about the disease. He quickly realised the burden of cancer in Africa was much greater than he had thought - accounting for about 700,000 deaths every year - and that very few scientific papers about the disease on the continent were available.I realised that cancer is this huge disease in Africa that doesn't really get much research attention," he says. But it's not just an African problem, it's global ... It stands out as a problem that does not distinguish between geographies or socioeconomic class." Continue reading...
Expeditions may be more challenging than previously thought due to presence of toxic particlesFrom a distance Mars looks beautiful, but sending astronauts to explore the planet might be more challenging than first thought, due to the presence of toxic dust. A new study identifies some of the health hazards and discusses the kind of personal protective equipment that astronauts might need.During Apollo missions to the moon, astronauts suffered from exposure to lunar dust. It clung to spacesuits and seeped into the lunar landers, causing coughing, runny eyes and irritated throats. Studies showed that chronic health effects would result from prolonged exposure. Martian dust isn't as sharp and abrasive as lunar dust, but it does have the same tendency to stick to everything, and the fine particles (about 4% the width of a human hair) can penetrate deep into lungs and enter the bloodstream. Toxic substances in the dust include silica, gypsum and various metals. Continue reading...
Resentment is natural when you've been wronged, but over time it can become bitter and self-defeating. Psychologists explain how to move onAt some point in the late 70s, during a Brownies meeting, something happened to Deborah that she has never been able to forget. Well, she can't actually remember exactly what the incident was, but she knows the perpetrator - another girl, who still lives in her town. I think she might have pushed me," says Deborah. I think she might have said something mean to me." Whatever it was, she has held a deep grudge against her for 46 years".It affected her deeply at the time. Deborah (not her real name) had been bullied at school, but says she doesn't hold grudges against those people. Brownies was different - it was supposed to be a safe, happy place, and this girl ruined it for her. It hasn't had a huge impact on her life, but the grudge - and the negative association - seeps into her mind every time she spots the woman. It happens quite a lot." She might bump into her in a shop or drive past her. She's always been a shadow in my life." Continue reading...
Exclusive: Fellows argue Musk has violated code of conduct but council believes investigation could do more harm than good'The Royal Society has decided not to take disciplinary action against Elon Musk over his conduct, saying that to do so could cause damage to the academy and science itself.Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO who also owns the social media platform X, was elected a fellow of the UK's national academy of sciences in 2018, apparently in recognition of his work in the space and electric vehicle industries. Continue reading...
Plus: Nvidia bets on AI-powered robots, Musk juggles Tesla and politics, and AI fiction takes over InstagramHello, and welcome to TechScape. In this week's edition: 23andMe files for bankruptcy, Nvidia forecasts a fusion of AI and robotics, and AI enables the creation of fiction at the pace of social media.Genetic testing firm 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on Monday. The CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki has stepped down after several attempts at a buyout. Once valued as high as $5.8bn in 2021, the company's financial failure is the finale to a long decline.The question for 23andMe customers is what will happen to the trove of genetic data that 23andMe has amassed in its years of collecting spit in tubes.Why I regret using 23andMe: I gave up my DNA just to find out I'm BritishHackers got nearly 7 million people's data from 23andMe. The firm blamed users in very dumb' moveElon Musk tells Tesla employees to hold on to their stock amid harsh selloffTesla backer says Musk must reduce Trump work, as 46,000 Cybertrucks recalledTesla stake is no longer Elon Musk's most valuable asset amid stock market sell-offElon Musk lashes out at US judges as they rule against DogeTrump makes rare admission of Musk's conflicts of interest after Pentagon visitUS attorney general to bring charges for Tesla damage, citing domestic terrorism' Continue reading...
Swirl visible for several minutes is thought to have been caused by frozen exhaust plume from Falcon 9The truth is out there ... it is just not quite as exciting as was hoped.A large, glowing spiral that lit up the skies over the UK on Monday night and prompted speculation of an alien encounter is believed to have been caused by a SpaceX rocket. Continue reading...
Primates eat bitter bark to kill parasites, while sparrows use cigarette butts to keep ticks off their chicks. Could the wisdom of wildlife be the next frontier in medicine?In Mexico City, house sparrows and house finches are picking up cigarette butts and weaving individual fibres into the lining of their nests. When researchers first discovered the butts - while studying what plastics end up in nests - they assumed it was simply a fluffy material being used as insulation. But through a series of ingenious tests, they discovered that the butts were actually medicinal: the birds actively collected them because the toxin nicotine reduces mites and other blood-sucking parasites. The birds are treating themselves - and their offspring.It's one of many fascinating examples of animals medicating themselves revealed in Doctors By Nature, a new book by the US-based Dutch academic Jaap de Roode. Apes deliberately swallow leaves to dislodge intestinal worms. Caterpillars switch diets to repel parasitic flies. Bees incorporate sticky resins in their homes to combat disease. Continue reading...
by Kat Lay Global health correspondent on (#6W55V)
UK Health Security Agency's tool highlights viruses and bacteria, many not yet seen in the country, that could pose biosecurity riskDeadly disease-causing organisms from pathogen families that include bird flu, plague and Ebola pose a threat to health in the UK and should be prioritised for research, government experts have said.The first tool of its kind from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) lists 24 types of viruses and bacteria where a lack of vaccines, tests and treatment, changes due to the climate crisis or growing drug resistance pose a biosecurity risk. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6W55Y)
More than 800 objects unearthed near Melsonby show the north was definitely not a backwater' 2,000 years agoOne of the biggest and most important iron age hoards ever found in the UK has been revealed, potentially altering our understanding of life in Britain 2,000 years ago.More than 800 objects were unearthed in a field near the village of Melsonby, North Yorkshire. They date back to the first century, around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain under Emperor Claudius, and are almost certainly associated with a tribe called the Brigantes who controlled most of northern England. Continue reading...
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Madeleine Fin on (#6W563)
It's a mystery that has long puzzled researchers. Why can't we remember our early childhood experiences? Freud called the phenomenon infantile amnesia, and for many years scientists have wondered whether it's a result of failure to create memories or just a failure to retrieve them. Now new research appears to point to an answer. To find out more, Ian Sample talks to Nick Turk-Browne, a professor of psychology at Yale University.Why can't we remember our lives as babies or toddlers?Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Academics from US hoping to escape funding freezes and ideological impositions are being actively recruitedLaced with terms such as censorship" and political interference", the Belgium-based jobs advert was far from typical. The promise of academic freedom, however, hinted at who it was aimed at: researchers in the US looking to flee the funding freezes, cuts and ideological impositions ushered in by Donald Trump's administration.We see it as our duty to come to the aid of our American colleagues," said Jan Danckaert, the rector of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in explaining why his university - founded in 1834 to safeguard academia from the interference of church or state - had decided to open 12 postdoctoral positions for international researchers, with a particular focus on Americans. Continue reading...
Presence of long-chain alkanes in rock raises new questions about possible existence of life billions of years agoNasa's Curiosity rover has found the largest organic compounds ever seen on Mars, raising tantalising questions about whether life emerged on the red planet billions of years ago.The compounds were detected in a 3.7bn-year-old rock sample collected in Yellowknife Bay, an ancient Martian lakebed that harboured all the necessary ingredients for life in the planet's warmer, wetter past. Continue reading...
The Nidus haemodialysis device has undergone a successful clinical trial, but but there is a lack of funding to get it through regulatory approval, write Dr Heather Lambert and Dr Malcolm CoulthardWe too found the outside the box" thinking in Alexander Masters' long read (Many life-saving drugs fail for lack of funding. But there's a solution: desperate rich people, 11 March) interesting. And we concur with Prof Roger Bayston's views on the problems getting innovative devices into commercial production, through regulatory hurdles, and into clinical use (Letters, 17 March).These problems are compounded when the novel device is aimed at treatment for a rare disease or a small subsection of a more common problem, in our case the development of a haemodialysis device for treating small babies. This device, the Newcastle infant dialysis and ultrafiltration system (Nidus), was invented in response to parent pressure to do something" when newborn babies undergoing major surgery (often for congenital abnormalities like abdominal or heart conditions) went into kidney failure and needed haemodialysis to keep them alive and allow time for their own kidneys to recover. Continue reading...
Approach could herald new way of delivering drugs, beyond birth control, over long periods of timeResearchers are developing an injection that creates a contraceptive implant in the body using an approach that could herald a new way of delivering drugs over long periods of time.Current contraceptive implants last for years, meaning women do not have to take a pill every day, but the devices must be fitted by a trained professional via a small surgical procedure. Contraceptive injections are already available but they have limitations, including that they last for only three months. Continue reading...
My father, Basil Hiley, who has died aged 89, was a theoretical physicist who was particularly renowned for his research collaborations with the American David Bohm, working with him on the foundations of quantum mechanics.Together they published many articles emphasising the wholeness of the quantum process and on the concept of Bohm's implicate order", which proposes a deeper, underlying reality where everything is interconnected and enfolded, contrasting with the explicate order" of our everyday, unfolded world. Continue reading...
Self-help pundits advise us to cut difficult people out of our lives, but it's not the only optionIt was snowing and the heating had broken the day I visited the Mass Observation Archive in Brighton. I sat in my coat, woolly hat and fingerless gloves, my breath clouding the air. Before me were nearly two hundred anonymous letters written in 2007, most by hand, reflecting on the ups and downs" of friendship.Mass Observation is a treasure trove for historians like me. Since 1939, it has sent out loose questionnaires called directives" to its pool of volunteer writers across the UK, who respond by describing their daily lives, opinions and feelings. Most who replied to the directive on friendship were women over 60. As the hours passed, my fingers grew numb but I didn't care. It was so absorbing to read their intimate accounts of the pleasures and the usually unspoken difficulties of friendship. Continue reading...
H5N1 virus found in single animal in Yorkshire but risk to general public is very low, say expertsBird flu has been detected in sheep for the first time in the world, UK experts have announced, although they stress the risk to livestock and the general public is low.The H5N1 virus was detected in a single animal in Yorkshire, England, after routine testing that was carried out because the flock was kept on a site where avian influenza had previously been found in birds. No other sheep in the flock was found to be infected. Continue reading...
Neurosafe procedure allows doctors to remove prostate while preserving as much nerve tissue around it as possibleA more precise form of prostate cancer surgery nearly doubles the chances of men retaining erectile function afterwards compared with standard surgery, according to the first comprehensive trial of the procedure.Doctors in five UK hospitals assessed the surgical approach that aims to preserve crucial nerves that run through the outer layer of the prostate and are thought to be responsible for producing erections. Continue reading...
In parts of North America and Greenland, up to 90% of the sun's fiery surface may be obscuredEclipses often come in pairs. A lunar eclipse is usually accompanied by a solar eclipse two weeks later, or vice versa, and this month is no exception. On 14 March, the moon was totally eclipsed by Earth; now it is the turn of the sun.There will be no total solar eclipse visible from the surface of Earth, but in certain parts of North America and Greenland up to 90% of its fiery surface may be obscured. For example, in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut in Canada, the sun will have 92% of its surface covered. Continue reading...
by Written by Samira Shackle and read by Dinita Gohil on (#6W4DN)
When details about a scientific study in the 1960s became public, there was shock, outrage and anxiety. But exactly what happened?By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil Continue reading...
The Trump administration is cutting funding, while specifically targeting institutions like Columbia. No wonder academics want outIn six weeks, the Trump administration's rapid scheduled disassembly" of American science has been as sharp and deep as its trashing of the US's alliances and goodwill; Earth science, weather forecasting and early warning systems, medical research (including cancer research), Nasa. Academic grants more broadly have been cut, paused and subject to review for a long list of banned words (including such contentious terms as political" and women").This has caused universities across the country to reduce their intake of PhD students, medical students and other graduate students, introduce hiring freezes and even rescind some offers of admission. More than 12,500 US citizens currently in other countries on Fulbright research grants recently had their funding paused, along with 7,400 foreign scholars currently hosted in the US, leaving them financially stranded. And, when it came to one foreign academic visiting the US, detaining them and refusing them entry.Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Chi Onwurah urges government to bring forward AI safety bill instead of delaying it to curry favour with Donald TrumpConcerns about the safety of artificial intelligence are at risk of being ignored by ministers, the Labour head of the Commons technology committee has said, as the government delays regulating the industry to curry favour with Donald Trump.Chi Onwurah, the chair of the cross-party committee, urged the government to bring forward the AI safety bill, which would require technology companies to hand over any large language models they build to UK regulators for testing. Continue reading...
A year-long series of events marks 80 years since admission of Marjory Stephenson and Kathleen Lonsdale in 1945When Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein became fellows of the Royal Society, like other illustrious physicists, chemists and biologists over the centuries, they met the society's membership criteria in two essential ways: they were talented scientists - and they were men.It wasn't until March 1945 that the prestigious scientific community finally began admitting women to its fellowship. Now, to mark the 80th anniversary of this milestone, the society is launching a year-long series of events to assert the rightful place in history of its first female fellows, Marjory Stephenson and Kathleen Lonsdale. Continue reading...
How the writer found her ongoing fixation on self-development was actually working against herI have lied to people. Last year I read twice the amount of self-help books than I logged on Goodreads. The number would raise serious concern and some of the titles would, too. I say I'm a culture journalist, but I couldn't share my Spotify Wrapped because my most listened-to music was healing ambient tracks called things like Whole Being REGENERATION". My podcast listening habits were hardly better: softcore manifestation content or prophesying rants from a growing crop of spiritual influencers who make David Icke look like Stephen Hawking. I've withheld most of my adventures in healing from friends and family. I hadn't known how to explain to people what I was doing.The why was easier: I'd rather not be my own worst enemy. I'd furiously backstep to the centre of many problems to find myself. I wanted to stop being someone with fairly unhealthy relationships and a discreet but unshakeable suspicion that I'm inherently unlovable, which is probably most people's issue. I knew there was a version of myself with direction, with great intuition, if only I could trust it more. The original sins were not mine but now, a grown adult, they are my responsibility. A few years ago I told a close friend that I'm terrified I'll wake up at 50, like Leonardo DiCaprio, dating a merry-go-round of inappropriately aged people, but without the Hollywood Hills compound and career. That could be fun, but if it happens, I'd rather it be an interesting choice than my unconscious fault. Continue reading...
Ohio, Maryland and Alabama among states to report new cases, with 378 confirmed in first few months of 2025More US states are reporting measles cases as the Texas outbreak expands, surpassing last year's total, amid vaccine misinformation and hesitancy.The Texas outbreak could take a year to get under control, one health official said - during which time it may spread to more states. Yet the parents of the six-year-old girl who died of measles in Texas have spoken against measles vaccination as misinformation continues to proliferate, including from figures such as the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Continue reading...
If you could increase the lifespan of your pet dog or cat, would you? And what is the real cost of doing so?Last November, my family brought home a puppy. Frankie was eight weeks old when he came to live with us, and right now, watching him bound around with my seven-year-old son, I don't want to imagine ever saying goodbye to him. Well, maybe I won't need to, or rather, I can at least kick that day into the long grass, and buy Frankie some extra time. After all, scientific understanding of the mechanisms of ageing has never been better; there is a plethora of longevity products to choose from and more in the pipeline, including a kind of diet pill for dogs; and, thanks to research into lifespan expansion for pets over the last decade, prescription-based longevity interventions that are now approaching FDA approval. All I have to do, it seems, is put in the time, care and (lots of) cash.But should I do so? Don't our pets live long enough already? And whose needs would I be serving - my own or my pooch's? In the UK, the life expectancy for a dog is just over 11 years, while cats average 14. As a working cocker spaniel, Frankie should be with us for 12-15 years - old enough that he'll still be around when my son leaves home, just not long enough to see me into my dotage. Continue reading...
Distorted external referencing can keep her paralysed, because she's trying to live up to an imagined idealThe question My daughter is now 34 years old, but she wants to be a teenager again, because she feels that she missed out on the fun she should have had back then. She hates the way she looks, because she thinks she looks older than 16. She wants cosmetic surgery and orthodontics to look younger.She wants to experience university life as a fresher again and have young fun, but she also doesn't want to as she feels too old. She wants to earn and have independence, but also fears it. She relies on her mother and me and is not interested in getting a job. She never goes out and has no friends. She has no interests and spends most of her time comparing herself with teenage social-media idols. Continue reading...
Five years since Boris Johnson ordered the UK to stay home, steps to prepare for the next national emergency are clearerExactly five years ago Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom was being placed in lockdown. From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home because the critical thing we must do is to stop the disease spreading between households," the PM told the nation.That lockdown, Britain's first of the Covid-19 pandemic, lasted until June. People reacted in myriad ways: with manic outpourings of video calls; obsessive outbreaks of bread baking and pet dog purchases; or simple, quiet desperation as they tried to fend off the isolation imposed on them. More lockdowns were to follow, but the first defined the sudden, chilling, unwelcome seclusion that individuals were forced to experience as social contact was halted across the country. Continue reading...
The alarm has been raised by experts as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of the introduction of lockdownKey scientific lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic are being forgotten, UK scientists have warned.The researchers have raised the alarm as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of the introduction of lockdown, which was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson on 23 March 2020. Continue reading...
Public consulted after concerns over children removed from parents on evidence of psychologists without right qualificationsUnregulated experts could be banned from the family courts under new proposals for proceedings involving children in England and Wales.The Family Procedure Rule Committee, which sets the rules in family court cases, has proposed changes to the rules, which are now out for public consultation. It follows growing concern from MPs and campaigners about court-appointed experts who advise on life-changing decisions without having the necessary qualifications. But some organisations say it does not go far enough. Continue reading...
Imperial College project could lead to less invasive testing and combat increase in antibiotic resistanceJodie is a canine with special powers, scientists have discovered. The golden labrador can smell and identify particular bacteria and could soon play a key role in helping researchers develop a programme in which dogs could sniff out individuals infected with dangerous microbes.The project, recently launched by scientists at Imperial College London, could be vital in the battle against antibiotic resistance as well as the treatment of patients with lung disease and other conditions, they say. Continue reading...
I asked some well-known names for their thoughts on the ultimate existential question. Their answers were fascinating, funny - and could help us frame our days on EarthIn September 2015, I was unemployed, heartbroken and living alone in my dead grandad's caravan, wondering what the meaning of life was. Where was I going to find happiness, or purpose, or meaning? What was the point to all of this?Like any millennial, I turned to Google for the answers. I trawled through essays, newspaper articles, countless YouTube videos, various dictionary definitions and numerous references to the number 42, before I discovered an intriguing project carried out by the philosopher Will Durant during the 1930s. Durant had written to Ivy League presidents, Nobel prize winners, psychologists, novelists, professors, poets, scientists, artists and athletes to ask for their take on the meaning of life. His findings were collated in the book On the Meaning of Life, published in 1932. Continue reading...
Promise was central plank to space agency's Artemis program, which is scheduled to return humans to the lunar surface in 2027Nasa has dropped its longstanding public commitment to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, in response to Donald Trump's directives to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at federal agencies.The promise was a central plank of the space agency's Artemis program, which is scheduled to return humans to the lunar surface in 2027 for the first time since the final Apollo mission in December 1972. Continue reading...
We have an opportunity to build systems that don't just replicate our current inequities. Will we take them?The notion that artificial intelligence could help reduce racism might seem counterintuitive. After all, we've seen numerous headlines about AI systems perpetuating or even amplifying racial biases. Yet as we enter 2025, amid both a backlash against social justice initiatives and the rapid proliferation of AI technologies, an unexpected opportunity is emerging.Here's the paradox: while few people want to be labeled racist, study after study reveal persistent racial disparities in everything from healthcare outcomes to economic opportunities. The fascinating twist? Society appears far more willing to critically examine and address bias in AI systems than confront human bias directly.Sanmi Koyejo is an assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University. He also leads the Stanford Trustworthy AI Research (Stair). Continue reading...
Alleged assault at polar base shows the importance of research on cabin fever - including on future Mars missionsSouth Africa has a tight regime for scientists wanting to overwinter" in Antarctica. The 13-month assignment to an isolated research base on the top of a cliff edge is, as the environment ministry drily puts it, testing". Average annual temperatures are -16C but drop much lower during the winter darkness.All applicants are subjected to psychometric analysis to ensure they are able to cope with the isolation, and can work and live with others in the confined space of the bases", said the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Only candidates who do not have any negative outcomes from all the background evaluations will be considered." Continue reading...
by Anna Bawden Health and social affairs corresponden on (#6W2VP)
Researchers develop technique that can accurately pinpoint lesions, increasing chances of successful surgeryResearchers have developed ultra-powerful scans that could enable surgery for previously treatment-resistant epilepsy.Globally, about 50 million people have epilepsy. In England, epileptic seizures are the sixth most common reason for hospital admission. About 360,000 people in the UK have focal epilepsy, which causes recurring seizures in a specific part of the brain. Continue reading...
Research finds yellow warblers near busy roads turn aggressive when traffic drowns out their territorial songs, and noise pollution could cause clashesIf the rumble of trucks, honk of car horns and bustle of the roads leaves you irritable, you are not alone - researchers say the sound of traffic can leave birds in a rage, too.Researchers have found male Galapagos yellow warblers that live near busy roads on the islands behave more aggressively when they hear songs from another male if they occur in the presence of traffic sounds. Continue reading...
Research to be funded even as health secretary RFK Jr suggested letting disease run freely for birds to develop immunityAs a bird flu outbreak continues to run rampant through US poultry farms, pushing eggs to record-high prices, federal officials announced funding for avian influenza research projects, including money for new vaccine projects and potential treatments.The US agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, said on Thursday that her department would invest $100m in these research efforts, as part of a $1bn initiative to fight bird flu and stop rising egg prices, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. Continue reading...
My father, David Landon, who has died aged 88, was a pioneer in the use of high-resolution electron microscopes to improve the understanding of neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and established a state-of-the-art electron microscopy facility that provided diagnostic services for several London hospitals that ran from the mid-1970s onwards.Specialising in exploring the microscopic structure and function of nerves and muscles, his early published papers describing structures involved in nerve conduction called the nodes of Ranvier were the start of a fruitful research career that used electron microscopes in diagnostic services for neuromuscular conditions. Continue reading...
What is art? | Wordsearch | Labour membership | Dark matter | Change for the worseRe your letters on art, or the question of what is art (20 March), I am reminded of two gallery visits.In one, a friend and I were looking at an installation" in the foyer, involving canvas and a brush and pan, to discover they were workmen's tools awaiting some repair work. In another gallery, in alarge bare room with a stepladder at one end, my husbandasked when the exhibition would be put up, onlytobe told that this was it.
Researchers say Aardvark Weather uses thousands of times less computing power and is much faster than current systemsA single researcher with a desktop computer will be able to deliver accurate weather forecasts using a new AI weather prediction approach that is tens of times faster and uses thousands of times less computing power than conventional systems.Weather forecasts are currently generated through a complex set of stages, each taking several hours to run on bespoke supercomputers, requiring large teams of experts to develop, maintain and deploy them. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: When ISS astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore touched down in a SpaceX capsule they entered a politically charged atmosphereGood morning. Last June, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on a 25-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, as part of its first crewed test flight. Originally scheduled to spend eight days in space, their mission was dramatically extended due to technical issues with the spacecraft, which was deemed unsafe for their return journey.After an astonishing 270 days in orbit, accusations that Joe Biden had abandoned them and to much fanfare, Williams and Wilmore finally returned to Earth in Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday - where a pod of curious dolphins circled the craft. After routine medical checks to confirm their wellbeing, both astronauts were finally reunited with their families.Ukraine | Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a very good telephone call" on Wednesday, according to Trump, in the first conversation between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart since their disastrous showdown in the White House three weeks ago.Middle East | Israeli forces have launched a limited ground operation" to retake the Netzarim corridor, a newly widened road protected by fortified bunkers that divides Gaza and is seen as essential to controlling the devastated Palestinian territory.Politics | Rachel Reeves will announce the biggest spending cuts since austerity at next week's spring statement after ruling out tax rises as a way to close her budget deficit. The chancellor will tell MPs next Wednesday that she intends to cut Whitehall budgets by billions of pounds more than previously expected in a move which could mean reductions of as much as 7% for certain departments over the next four years.UK news | A truly evil" 19-year-old who murdered his mother and two younger siblings as part of a failed plot to become the worst mass murderer in British history has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years. Nicholas Prosper admitted to murdering Juliana Falcon, 48, Kyle Falcon, 16, and Giselle Falcon, 13, last month.Internet | UK police forces are receiving more than 110 reports of child sextortion attempts every month, according to the National Crime Agency, as a new awareness campaign is launched about the online scourge. The NCA said the use of artificial intelligence in sextortion attacks had also increased substantially" over the past three years as criminals adapted their methods. Continue reading...
by Presented by Madeleine Finlay with Ian Sample, pro on (#6W217)
Dark energy, the mysterious force powering the expansion of the universe, appears to be weakening over time, according to a major cosmological survey that has thrown the laws of modern physics into doubt. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay how this new finding could shed light on the ultimate fate of the cosmos, and Saul Perlmutter, who won a Nobel prize for his work proving the universe is expanding, describes how the new development could upend assumptions about how this mysterious force operatesDark energy: mysterious cosmic force appears to be weakening, say scientistsSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
Science | The Guardian